To George Washington from George Clendinen, 11 November 1792
From George Clendinen
Kanhawa County Virginia November the 11th 1792
Sir,
permit me to Introduce to your particular favr and Respect Our Brother Batis. Dequan, The Kascaska chief, who So early as the Year eighty One, made his personal appearance with offers Of his decided and determinate Friendship and Affection to the United States, to which he as ever Since adheard with all his nation and those In Alliance with him1—King dequan Informs me that he has prevaild upon the Chiefs Of Many Nations to Travel With him to you; with The United Belt of piece To present you, Hoping that we may all become the Same people, Firmly United to Each Others Interests, In the Strictest Tyes Of Friendship Unalterable for ever, Saying That the Americans The French Nation and All the Nations Of Red Men Are the Same people Or that their Receprocal Interest Out to be the Same,2 King Dequan, will perhaps be Introduced to you by the Honorable Thomas Jefferson Secretary Or prime Minister, to the United States, with whom he Contracted A most Friendly Acquaintance In the Year Eighty One, when he was Governor Of Virginia—Your Excellency will Find very Little Occation for this my letter of Introduction after being Acquainted with he who is the Subject of It as his person and Behavour truely Represent the Greaces and Philantropy Of his mind.3
In his endeavours for peace may God of his Infinite Mercy promote, as our Frontiers at present Groan Under the Hard hand of War and Opp[r]ession. I have the Honr to be with great Respect and Esteem your Obt Humble Sevt
Geo. Clendinen
ALS, ViMtvL: Storer-Decatur Collection.
1. County lieutenant George Clendinen (Clendenin), one of the founders of Kanawha County and the city of Charleston in present-day West Virginia, served several terms in the Virginia general assembly, 1781–89, 1791, and 1793–95. GW earlier had sought Clendinen’s assistance in disposing of his holdings along the Kanawha River (see GW to Clendinen, 21 Feb. 1791).
Kaskaskia chief Jean-Baptiste Ducoigne (died c.1832) had visited Thomas Jefferson at Monticello in June 1781 (see Jefferson to Ducoigne, 1 June 1781, and source note, in 6:60–64).
2. Ducoigne was one of two Kaskaskia chiefs who signed the Treaty of Vincennes on 27 Sept. 1792 (Names of Signers of the Treaty of Vincennes, OMC: Putnam Papers). At the end of the negotiations, Gen. Rufus Putnam issued an invitation for a delegation of chiefs, including Ducoigne, to visit GW at Philadelphia. For background on this treaty, see GW to Knox, 3 Sept. 1792, and note 3.
3. The Indian delegation arrived in Philadelphia in late December, and Ducoigne met with Jefferson shortly thereafter (see Pennsylvania Gazette [Philadelphia], 2 Jan. 1793; Jefferson to Martha Randolph Jefferson, 31 Dec. 1792, 24:806). GW formally addressed the chiefs on 1 Feb. 1793, and Ducoigne was one of the chiefs who replied that same day on behalf of the delegation (see 40; Speech from the Wabash and Illinois Indians, 1 Feb. 1793).